The Dying of the Light
by Ginger Sheikah
Summary: Unending storms have cast their shadows over the land. Queen Zelda and the Hero of Light are having strange, prophetic dreams of a growing darkness in the east. The daughter of Fierce Deity and Zelda is now grown and faces surmounting troubles of her own. Unbeknownst to them, an old danger has awakened and threatens the lives of them all. *Sequel to Healing the Moon*
1. Visions of Rain

**Hello again everybody! Its been some time, hasn't it? **

**To those who don't know, this story is a sequel to my fanfic, "Healing the Moon." If you haven't read Healing the Moon, that's okay! It's not super important that you have read that story first, but it is definitely recommended! This story has literally been years in the making. Even before I finished HtM, I was planning out this story and already had major plot points figured out. It's so exciting to finally have the first chapter posted, and to continue the story of Zelda and the Fierce Deity. **

**Please enjoy this first chapter of "The Dying of the Light," and as always...**

**Happy Reading :) **

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><p><strong>Zelda<strong>

The vision came to her in sleep, as it always did. Zelda stood on the Gerudo Mesa, looking out over the abandoned desert. She could see the Arbiter's Grounds in the distance, and beyond that, mountains guarding the eastern horizon.

The sky above her was thick with low hanging, ominous clouds. Zelda looked closer and saw that they were tinged with a strange color. Her gaze followed the clouds back to the east, where they grew black above the mountains.

She took a deep breath and jumped off the Mesa and down into the sandy ground below. Her feet hit the sand with a muffled thud, but when she looked up again, Zelda was seeing an entirely new scene.

The mountains were much closer, but the world had somehow shifted and they were now on her left. She was still standing in sand, but to her right was an ocean. That had not been there before. The steel colored waves were thrashing around, high in the air, and rain was angrily pelting the surface of the water and making the sand around her feet soft and unstable. Lighting was violently striking all around her; on the beach, on the ocean, on the mountains, and on a city that she suddenly noticed was right in front of her.

The buildings were a painted a dazzling white, decorated with blue and red marking that were exotic, yet familiar. It was a beautiful city, but it was being utterly destroyed by the lightning.

Great chunks of white stone were flying in the air after every strike of brilliant lightning. The entire city was shrinking before Zelda's very eyes. There was no mercy from the heavens. The storm was relentless.

Then, with a roar that shook the ground, an enormous wave rose out of the ocean and crashed over the buildings. In one huge bite, like a mouth devouring a meal, the city was swallowed whole. As the frothing foam of the waves receded, not a single trace of the white city was left.

Zelda ran, through the rain, lighting, and waves that were crashing on the beach where the city once stood. Every time the billowing water met the sand, it traveled further up than the wave before. It was like the ocean was trying to reach the mountains and drown the shore beneath it.

Zelda blinked her eyes once, and suddenly she found herself facing the ocean, looking east once more. Zelda felt a chill run up her spine and she lifted her eyes from the tempestuous waters to the storm raging above her.

In the sky, right in the middle of the squall, was a wild looking woman. The howling wind was flailing strands of her long, bright red hair around her like whips and they were slapping her deeply tanned skin without mercy. Her fierce face was formed into a terrible grimace. Golden eyes blazed from her skull like two balls of fire, and she seemed immune to the stinging rain and lighting all around her.

She had her arms stretched out wide, like she was ready to embrace the sky, and her fingers were splayed out. The woman raised her head and began to scream words to the heavens, but her voice was drowned out by a booming clap of thunder. A bright, blinding flash of lightning struck right behind the woman and the whole sky was illuminated from the bolt.

Suddenly, the woman caught sight of her. The grimace turned into a triumphant, hideous smile. Zelda's heart leapt into her throat and she turned around and ran for her life.

She made the mistake of looking back. Behind her, the woman pursued with relentless fervor. Zelda could even hear her screaming indiscernible words at her. Her feet carried her faster. She did not want to know what the woman was saying.

Through the ruined remains of the city she ran. As if she had been to this place a hundred times before, Zelda followed a path that wound up to the side of a jagged cliff. There, she knew that she would find a tunnel. Reaching that tunnel would be her salvation from her pursuer.

Her breathing came in ragged gasps as the path became steeper and steeper. She dared not look behind her again. Soon, the entrance to the tunnel was in her sight. Zelda was almost there. She splashed through a puddle on the ground, but a flash of something white made her stop.

Curious, Zelda waited for the water to settle. She could hear the sounds of her pursuer getting closer, but something about that whiteness made her nervous.

Her reflection became clearer as the surface of the water smoothed out. That flash of white…it had been her hair she had seen. That did not make sense. Her hair was not white.

Zelda blinked her eyes and looked again. The screams of the woman were so close, but Zelda was gripped with a fear far beyond that of her enemy.

The face that was looking back at her was not her own.

It was her daughter's.

It was Selene's.

Hands, cold and strong, grabbed her shoulders with a vicious grip. Zelda screamed out of fear and confusion.

With a jolt, the vision ended as suddenly as it had begun. Zelda sat up in bed, her heart racing and her breath coming in short, shallow gasps. Her left hand stung as her Triforce burned her skin. She looked out her window and saw that it was nearly dawn. Thick rainclouds choked out the gentle colors of the sunset. Zelda felt her heart pounding in her chest and she hastily laid a hand on her throbbing forehead.

She tried to gather her thoughts. That wasn't the first time she had seen the cloudy sky over the Gerudo Desert. Neither was she unfamiliar to the sight of the stormy ocean destroying the white city and she always saw that woman in her dreams. Always.

Those eyes, so full of madness and malice, haunted Zelda in her waking moments. Who was she, Zelda would ask herself in brief moments of reprise from her daily activities. What was she? That red hair and her golden eyes…something about her echoed of the lost Gerudo tribe. It was something she had been meaning to ask Shad about. Without revealing her vision, she wanted to know if there had been a way, any way at all, that any Gerudo were still alive today.

For a brief moment, she smiled. It had been many years since she last asked Shad for information without telling him the whole story of why. Last time she did, a fierce white giant had stood at her side and insulted the only man who might have been able to help them.

Still, she needed to know if her vision was symbolic or if it was a glimpse of events yet to come. The burning sensation of her Triforce was another cause for concern. It had never done that before and she did not think that it bode well. Also, the storm destroying the city and the mysterious woman struck dread into her heart. Yet none of those things frightened her as much as seeing herself as her own daughter. What were the goddesses trying to say? They were warning her, obviously, but about what? Was Selene in danger? Why, why did she live those dreams not as Zelda, but as Selene?

This had been going on for weeks. The visions, the warnings had been coming to her in dreams for almost as long as the rains had been pouring from the sky. Frustrated, Zelda threw off her sheets and began to pace back and forth in her room.

After the winter snow had melted away, the rainy spring began. It started off just as any other season would. The rain fell and Hyrule became lush and green. Then, after weeks of relentless rain, she had noticed a change. The rains would refuse to go away. There were days when the skies would stay cloudy and only a few scant drops would fall here and there, but then the lapse would end. The storms would begin again.

The nature of the rain itself was strange. It was not cool and refreshing, as rain should be. It was a tepid, humid drizzle. The clouds themselves had a sickly tint to them. To Zelda, it seemed unnatural and ominous. This was not nature's doing.

To the rest of Hyrule, the rain was no longer a blessing, but a nightmare. The constant storms were wreaking havoc on her kingdom. Hyrule was nearly on the brink of disaster. Zelda and her eldest son, Silas, had been working long, arduous hours to keep things under control. This night had been the first night in too many that she had hardly more than four hours of sleep.

Realizing how exhausted she truly was, Zelda sat back down in her bed and contemplated on the dream. In her vision, she kept facing east. Nothing of interest lay beyond the mountains east of the Desert. It was uninhabitable land, however. The desert was too large and too dangerous to cross, and the mountains of the east were jagged and hostile. The journey to there was long and there was not much to show for the effort. Beyond, there was only more desert and barren mountains and ocean.

She thought of the white city by the sea. There had not been any known civilizations on the ocean in hundreds of years, so she had no idea what it could be, or who could live there. Yet there was something beyond the mountains that called to her, but maybe the call was not to her entirely. Selene was the one in the vision, not her. That something was calling to her daughter.

A soft knock at her door drew Zelda away from her thoughts. There were only a few people who were allowed to call on her so early in the morning. She wondered which one it would be today.

"Come in," Zelda called out to her visitor as she pulled a blue shawl around her nightclothes. The door opened with hardly a sound and a tall, willowy figure stepped gracefully into the room. Zelda's youngest child, and only daughter shut the door behind her and looked at her mother with somber, ocean blue eyes.

After seeing her only moments before in a vision, looking at her daughter now was a little jarring for Zelda. She fought the urge to run to her and throw her arms around Selene and never let go. Instead, Zelda took note of her daughter's expression; something was troubling her.

"Did I wake you?" Selene asked quietly. Her pale brows furrowed ever so slightly.

"No, no, I was already awake," Zelda replied. "Come sit," she said, patting a space at the foot of her bed. Selene nodded and made her way across the room.

"Is everything alright?" Zelda inquired as Selene took a place beside her mother. "You seem troubled about something." She reached out and brushed a lock of Selene's pure white hair behind her ear. Out of all their children, Selene was the only one to inherit Astraeus' pale locks.

"There is something," she answered, brushing her hair from behind her ear and letting it fall back in front of her face. "I should have come to you sooner but…" Selene paused and turned her face to look out of the window. Zelda waited as Selene watched the growing storm pound sheets of rain against the glass.

"I was afraid," she continued. "I didn't know what it meant and I thought that it would go away if I just ignored it." Selene shook her head. "Foolish, I know, but I was more afraid of the answers than the actual thing itself. Ever since the rains came in the beginning of the spring, I've been having these…visions I guess you could say."

Zelda's stomach wrenched at the word 'vision.' "What do you mean by vision?" She asked, keeping her voice calm and steady.

"I mean that when I sleep, most nights I see myself standing in the desert on this mesa. I'm looking to the east and when I jump down, suddenly I'm standing in front of an ocean…" Selene continued her story, each detail exactly as Zelda had seen it from her own visions. Zelda felt her apprehension of the visions grow. Something was not right. Selene went on with her story until the part came when the woman was chasing her up the cliff's path.

"When I am almost to the entrance of the tunnel, I run through a puddle and I see the reflection of my hair in the water. For some reason, I stop to look at myself. When I do…" Selene stopped there and her face grew fearful.

"…and when you do, you feel her hands grab your shoulders and you wake up screaming?" Zelda dared herself to say. Selene's eyes widened in surprise and she let her mouth hang open. Zelda wanted to laugh. She looked so much like the little girl that once chased her brothers through the hallways of the castle, wanting to play with them.

"Yes…then I wake up," she replied slowly. Her face suddenly looked skeptical. "How did you know?"

"I have to be honest with you. Ever since the rains started, I too have been having visions; the exact same ones as yours. Every thing that you see, I have seen as well. The woman, the ocean, the storms and the desert, I know them all."

Confusion showed on Selene's face. "Yet when you look at your reflection, do you see yourself or do you see me?" Zelda hesitated for a moment before answering.

"I see you."

"Well, since you have these visions too, do you know what they mean?" Zelda shook her head. "Selene, I'm afraid that I have no answers for you. It frightens me that you are the one featured in these visions."

"It frightens me too." Selene agreed. "Whatever this may mean, I don't want to have any part of it."

"You may have no choice, unfortunately." Selene fell silent and Zelda could tell that her daughter was afraid. "Is it a sign of the future, do you think?" She asked in a quiet voice that made her sound so much like the child she had been just a few short years before.

Zelda sighed heavily and ran her fingers through her honey colored locks. "I cannot say if it is a premonition or just something symbolic. I want to ask Shad if there is any evidence of Gerudo living elsewhere in the world, since I believe that the woman we see looks so much like one, but as for the answers to why we are having these visions…I do not yet know."

The two sat there in silence and Zelda wondered exactly what her daughter was thinking. She was so often closed and private. It was hard to know her true feelings sometimes. Zelda ventured one last question. "Is there anything else you see? Do you have any other visions?"

Selene looked down at her fingers trailing over the silken sheets. White hair fell over her face as she looked down.

"Selene?"

Her head snapped back up and her face was serious and grim. "No, I don't," she answered blankly. "I only see the one you see. I'm sorry."

"That's alright." Zelda patted her daughter's arm. Selene smiled weakly. "We will figure this out together. I might as well start now. I suppose Silas is already up and working away?"

Selene rose to her feet, standing above her mother. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "I don't think he even slept at all, to be quite honest with you."

Zelda also stood up and tightened her shawl around her shoulders. She couldn't help but laugh. "Of course hasn't…and Soren? Where is he in all this mess?"

For the first time that morning, Selene smiled a true smile. She let out a bright laugh and shook her head. "Oh you know where he is! That lazy lug won't even wake unless the sun's been up for a few hours."

**Midna **

Sharp scarlet eyes peered out through a misty window as Midna tried to catch a glimpse of her wolf boy through the pouring morning rain. He had gone out earlier in the morning to help the villagers dam up the small creek that had turned into a raging river. The storms that had been here four weeks ago, on her last visit, were still raging their way over Hyrule. To Midna, the world had a different feel to it than it had before. When she was here last, everyone feared ruined crops, flooded rivers and lakes, and the muddy, inaccessible roads that could take them to safer locations if worse came to worse. She could imagine that it was ten times worse now. Already, many of the Ordon villagers had packed their bags and moved to inns in Castle town. Only the Mayor and a few other families remained, but after this morning, Midna wondered how long it would be before they too packed up and headed for higher ground.

Not only was the fear palpable, but the very atmosphere had a sinister feel to it, as though the rains were purposefully trying to drown the citizens of Hyrule. Link had spent the past month in Hyrule and had not come to visit her once. Midna wondered if he was staying to help the villagers, or if the threat of something more dangerous than bad weather was holding him to the world of Light. It wasn't like him to stay away for so long.

In her pale blue hands, she held a letter from him. He expected her back early this morning, but he had to leave…he had to help Ordon. Midna sighed and smoothed out the brown, crinkly paper. She did not know how long he had been gone or how much longer he would be. It wasn't that she was afraid for his safety. Link could handle himself and she knew it. She was just more than anxious to see him, to hold him. A month had been far too long for her to be apart from her love.

As if hearing her thoughts call to him, Midna suddenly saw a figure darting through the downpour. She flew from her seat at the window and rushed to the door. Midna yanked against the handle, just in time for a sodden, soaking wet Link to come running through the entryway. As he caught sight of her standing in the living room of his humble home, Link's face broke into a smile. Even after nearly two decades, Link still had a boyish Link on his manly face when he saw her.

"Link!" Cried Midna as she threw her arms around him, not caring that he felt like he had just jumped into a lake. Link returned her embrace with a gentle, if not wet, hug. "I'm sorry that its been so long," she heard him murmur into her bright orange hair.

"It's alright," she replied, pulling away from him. Link beamed down at her. Time had aged his face some, but he would always be the handsome, sweet boy she had met years ago during their quest. "Just don't make me wait that long again," she playfully demanded as she smoothed strands of damp blonde hair away from his blue eyes.

"I read your letter," she said, gesturing to the now forgotten piece of paper sitting on the chair. "You said that most everyone had left Ordon for Castle town. Has the rain really been this bad the whole time that I've been away?" Link's face grew serious and he frowned. Shrugging off his wet shirt, he nodded yes. "It hasn't let up for weeks. We haven't been able to farm or herd the goats since the end of winter. There aren't many who stuck around." Link grabbed a shirt that was hanging to dry by the fireplace and he pulled it on. Midna handed him a towel from the kitchen and watched as he rubbed it over his head to dry his hair. When he was done he handed the towel back to her. His hair stuck out every which way and Midna couldn't help but smile at how adorable he always was without him even knowing it. No, time and age had not changed him at all.

"Shad and Ilia are letting people stay at their house in the town," he continued, his stern face clashing with his wild hair. "Rusl and Uli are with them. I made them go."

Midna nodded. Of course their safety would be his top priority. Rusl and his sweet wife Uli were Link's parents, for all intents and purposes. They had raised him since he was a small child. "That's good," she replied. "I'm surprised you were able to get Rusl to leave his home. What about their kids and grandkids?"

"It wasn't easy to make him leave, but I couldn't let them stay," Link answered. "And for the rest of his family, well, I made them go too. Zelda made sure that everyone from Ordon had some place to stay."

Midna sat down at the table in Link's small kitchen and rested her chin on her slender hands. "I bet Castle town is overflowing with people trying to find someplace safe. Have you been to see Queen Zelda at all?" Link shook his head no. "I haven't been able to get away. Besides, if I was going to leave Ordon right now, it would have been to see you." He said with a smile. Midna smiled back at him. Link turned around and began to rummage through his pantry.

"Are you hungry?" He called out, momentarily distracted by the desire for food. "Always thinking with your stomach," she teased. Link only grinned sheepishly and began to rustle around in his cabinets for pots and pans.

Midna waited in silence for a few moments before she decided to ask another question. "Does it seem strange to you, this rain? I can't put my finger on it, but something about it doesn't seem right."

Link turned around and set a pot down on the fire. "I know what you mean. My Triforce has been stinging lately."

Stinging? Midna had never heard of his Triforce doing that before. That ancient relic was capable of doing a lot of things, but stinging didn't seem to be something that was a sign of good news. "That isn't normal, Link. When was the last time that happened?"

The pot on the fire was forgotten as Link turned to Midna and took a place at the table, opposite of her. "This is the first…" he admitted quietly.

Despite herself, Midna couldn't help but feel a tendril of fear creep into her heart. When she didn't respond, Link continued. "Plus…I don't know what this means, but I've been having these dreams. Every night when I sleep, it's the same thing."

This was another strange thing. "What happens in these dreams?" She asked, trying not to be afraid. There was nothing to be afraid of, she told herself. No matter what it could mean, Link could always prevail. He proved that when he defeated Ganondorf and he proved it again when he was possessed by the Fierce Deity Mask.

Link ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up even more. "Remember when we went to the desert? To the Arbiter's Grounds? Well, I'm there again, and I'm dressed in my green tunic, except I'm not there with you like before. I'm standing on the mesa and the sky is red. When I look up, the sun is completely black, like it's in a shadow. It makes the entire world look red. When I look down, I see this…this army. They look like Hylian soldiers. There are thousands of them, and they are all following me. When I turn around and face the east, I see another army standing before me. They don't look like anything that I've ever seen before. I can't tell if they're human or not, but I know that we are there to fight them. Just as a hear a trumpet call, I wake up."

Thunder rumbled in the air and lighting lit up the hazy world outside. Link's face was almost confused as he told her his dream. Midna herself was confused. "You were leading the Hylian Army? Zelda's Army" Midna questioned. "And you see this every night?"

He nodded yes. "Every night since the rains started, and since my Triforce started burning."

Suddenly, Midna could not hold back her tongue. She stood to her feet, fear uncharacteristically overtaking her. "Link, this dream might be a warning of some kind. Maybe your goddesses are trying to communicate with you and tell you about something that is going to happen!" She paced back and forth in the kitchen, trying to keep her voice low despite her rising emotions. "What if Hyrule is going to be under attack soon? You haven't had anything happen in twenty-four years and last time you were invaded, you weren't prepared at all and look at what happened. It took us nearly a year to fight our way to freedom!"

Link also stood to his feet and he walked over to Midna. His blue eyes were calm and he placed his arms around her waist. Midna fell into his touch and rested her head against his. "I know, Midna. I know," he murmured. "I don't want anything to happen to Hyrule again, but I also have to make sure that my people are safe now from this rain."

At his gentle, easy tone, Midna felt herself relax. Link was right. "Do you think that this rain and your dreams are connected somehow," she inquired as she pulled away from him.

Link shrugged. "They might be. There is only one person we could ask."

Midna knew what that meant. She would be paying a visit to her dear friend soon.

Taking her place at the table again, Midna thought that Link was on to something. Zelda would surely have an answer. "It'll be nice to see Zelda again. I wonder if she's finally let Silas be King yet. How's that food coming?"

"Working on it! As for Silas…not sure when that will be." Link walked back over to the pot and began to pour in a hearty amount of oatmeal. He reached for a few eggs that were sitting on the rough, wooden counter and cracked them into a skillet. "I know that he wanted to be King when he was twenty."

Midna sighed. She didn't think that Zelda would ever let him rule on his own. She had been twenty-three when she was crowned Queen. Silas had was the same age and his crown was nowhere in sight. "Honestly, I don't think she's ready to relinquish her throne just yet. He's ready though. I know that he's proved that he is more than capable to rule this kingdom."

Sausage was added to the eggs. Soon, the small kitchen was filled with the smells of breakfast. Midna's stomach growled and she realized how hungry she actually was. Link didn't answer her right away. "True," he eventually replied as he turned back to Midna. "He would be a great king, but it might be hard for her to let go of her position and let her child rule."

That reminded her…"Speaking of child, I have someone here to see you…"

Link's face lit up and his eyes grew soft. Midna took his hand and led him up the narrow stairs to where he kept an extra bed. Together, they sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the sleeping child beneath the covers.

Their young son slept soundly, the drum of the rain lulling him into a deep sleep. His skin was pale and in some lights, it looked blue. His hair was vibrantly colored just like his mother's and his ears stuck out in the same way hers did. Midna knew that beneath those precious, pale lids were two scarlet eyes. Despite having her coloring, their son looked so much like his father.

Midna watched as Link brushed a finger over his son's cheek. The impending rains and the disturbing visions seemed so far away when she was in this warm, happy place with her family.

**Silas**

The late afternoon brought a lapse in the rain. Gloomy clouds still hovered in the sky, threatening to bring back the storms at any moment. Thunder growled ominously in the humid air. Silas turned to the wide windows and watched as a bolt of lightning struck in the distance. The bright light made his head ache and he rubbed his tired, sore eyes. He had not rested in days. The past week had been spent in this study, working furiously to try and solve the mountain of problems that these constant storms were causing. Castle town was bursting at the seams with refugees from all over Hyrule. Silas was just discussing with his mother, the Queen, the possibility of opening the doors of the castle and letting people stay in the many extra rooms they had to spare.

Then there was the problem of the rivers and lakes destroying valuable farming land, which the farmers had not sowed because the rains only washed away the seeds that were planted. The scarcity of food forced them to dip into their stores. If the rain did not let up soon, then their precious resources would dwindle and then where would they be? Already, their stores were getting lower with each passing week.

With the state of the roads, traveling became nearly impossible for anyone to enter or exit Hyrule. The Termanian Ambassador, Kael the Mayor of Clocktown, had already agreed to aide Hyrule in their time of need, but Silas did not know how much they could ask of Termina before they began to drain their resources as well.

In the midst of his busy thoughts, Silas reached over and absentmindedly reached for the mug of ale on his desk and took a sip. It was cold, he noticed. Hadn't he ordered warm ale? Silas took another sip and realized that he had in fact ordered ale…yesterday morning…and that this was the same stuff from before. He pushed the mug away and felt his stomach growl. The last time he ate was early this morning when his mother had come to check on him. She was worried that he had not slept that night and had tried to relieve him of his busy work.

"I won't rest yet," he had replied, not even looking up from his work. "I've got more to do before I can, mother. How can I rest when Hyrule needs me?"

She had sighed and crossed her arms. "Silas, that is ridiculous. You cannot work yourself to death. Your health and well-being are just as important to the people of Hyrule. Someday they'll need you, but you aren't King just yet. Please, rest."

At this, Silas had looked up at her with grim determination. His mother had looked at him, frustrated and tired, before shaking her head and leaving the study. Because of this, he had not moved from his desk since they talked. He was determined to prove her wrong. Silas was not King yet because she did not think he was ready, she claimed.

"How am I not ready," he muttered bitterly to himself as he sifted through papers, his eyes too bleary to focus on the words. Ever since he was young, he poured his heart and soul into cultivating himself to becoming as great a leader as his mother. His childhood was spent with books and studies and discipline. As a young adult, he did not live a frivolous, carefree life as his younger brother did. His duty always came first and time and time again did he sacrifice his own wants for his position. He had given his life to his duty as a Prince, so how much more did she think he needed to prove before he was ready to be King?

A yawn escaped him and he brushed back his silvery, gray hair. It was high time he stopped working and took care of himself. He admitted, begrudgingly, that his mother was right. A few more days working like this, and Hyrule would have no future King anymore. Unless Silas wanted Soren to take over the job for him, which made him shudder to even consider that possibility, then he had better get some food and some sleep.

Leaving his study for the first time that entire day, Silas walked down the wide corridor of the castle. His muscles protested at being moved after staying dormant for so long. Silas rubbed his aching neck as he made his way past the training courtyard. He heard the sounds of swords clanging and men shouting. Sure enough, he heard his brother's voice booming out over the rest. A light drizzle fell from the sky, but the soldiers would take any chance they could to train and fight. Curious, Silas walked to the balcony over the courtyard and leaned against the railing. A breeze wafted over balcony, with it a few drops of rain. It felt so good to be out of that stuffy office and in the open air. He watched as Soren, dressed in light armor and armed with his favorite sword, sparred with one of the newer recruits. He was just a boy really, and Silas wondered how he managed to scrounge up the guts to face Soren. It did not take long until the young soldier was beaten down, his face in the mud.

In a few moments, the defeated recruit limped away and was replaced with a more experienced soldier. Soren might actually have a fight with this one. Silas looked closer and he recognized this one. His name was Arden and he was the only son of one of the lesser knights in the Army. If Arden was here, then surely…

With his heart thudding a little faster than it had before, Silas quickly checked the other balconies over the courtyard. It didn't take long for him to find what he was looking for. How had he not seen her before?

Opposite from him, practically right front of his eyes, was Arden's twin sister. Her name was Avery. Silas bowed his head and gazed at her from lowered eyes. She had a pretty face and hazel eyes as soft as a doe's. The gentle wind blew her brown hair around her cheeks and Silas felt his heart melt. Every time Arden was here to train, his sister would come to watch. Even now, she did not seem to notice Silas as he watched her. Her eyes intently followed Soren and Arden's every move. He wondered what made fascinated her so much about swordplay. Not that he would ever ask her. Future King and demi-god he may be, but Silas could not work up the courage to speak to her. After three years of trying to gather up the nerve to say something to her, he had little success. Silas glanced down at the training yard and watched his brother successfully take down his opponent. He envied Soren of his audacity and bravery. If Soren liked a girl, he wouldn't hesitate to speak to her. In fact, he would have kissed her by the end of an hour. Looking back up, he watched as Avery shook her head at her brother's defeat.

"Silas," the sound of somebody saying his name interrupted his thoughts. He looked around and saw his mother standing behind him. Annoyed as he was at her, he couldn't help but see the concern written all over her face.

"What is it?" He asked, forgetting all about Avery and his grudge. "Has something happened?"

Zelda shook her head. "No, nothing has happened but we have some visitors."

Silas frowned. "Who?" He couldn't understand why his mother was so upset over some guests.

"Midna has returned from the Twilight Realm. Her and Link are here…" Zelda said, still looking worried. "They said that they have something troubling to share. Come meet with me in the Throne Room."

**Soren**

Mud and rainwater dripped from his soiled clothes as Soren traipsed down the hallways of the castle, sword slung heavily over his shoulder. The rains had returned with a vengeance and lightning was striking too close for comfort, so the outdoor training for the day had come to an end. Besides, he had seen Silas and his mother hurry away, the both of them looking worried. He intended to find out why.

"What else could possibly go wrong," he muttered to himself as he passed some harried looking servants in the corridor. No doubt they were off to prepare for the refugees that his mother and Silas had decreed could take shelter within the walls of the castle. Soren felt wary about the idea of strangers coming into his home, but who was he to argue against the Queen and the Crown Prince. Honestly, who was he deny the people of Hyrule the shelter that they needed in their time of need.

"You know, the servants are going to hate you for making the floors dirty," a voice suddenly chimed at his side. Soren looked to his left and saw Selene walking next to him. Soren gave a hearty laugh. "They've been cleaning up mud for weeks! What's a little more going to hurt," he joked.

Selene smiled and shook her head. "Still, I'm just warning you. Don't be surprised if your food comes to you a little colder than it should be, or your sheets aren't warmed up at night." A boom of thunder suddenly drowned out the rest of her words. The walls of the castle shook and Selene grabbed Soren's arm.

"When will this end?" She whispered fearfully. Soren put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her tightly. Poor Selene. Storms had always frightened her, ever since she was a little girl. Anything that had to do with a lot of water made her nervous, actually. It probably had to do from when she was young and almost drowned in Lake Hylia.

Selene returned his embrace and she looked at him with nervous eyes. "At least we have the Ambassador visit to look forward to," he quipped, trying to cheer Selene up any way that he could. She had been morose these past few weeks and he missed his cheerful sister. Besides, seeing Kael and his family was always entertaining. "Kade will be here, I know that for sure!" Soren teased.

His sister groaned in response and rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me," she replied. "It's been over a year since I've had to see that little devil." Soren laughed and poked her in the arm. "Don't lie to me! I know that you enjoy seeing him more than you'd like to admit. You play this big game about hating him, but you two are inseparable when he's here!" Selene responded with a withering glare, but Soren could see by the twitching of her mouth that she was holding back a smile.

"Shame that we had to cancel the welcome ball because of the weather," Selene finally responded, choosing to ignore Soren's accusation. A few younger soldiers passed them in the corridor and Soren watched as three daring pairs of eyes locked onto Selene as she walked by. "Shame…" he muttered, glowering at the soldiers' audacity to stare at his sister while he was there. They all quickly looked away and hurried from Soren. If Selene had noticed, she didn't make any sign of it.

Not that he could blame the young men entirely…Selene was beautiful. There was no getting around that. She was tall and graceful. Ethereal as an angel, there was no comparison to her stunningly white hair and fair skin, matched with azure eyes. For years, even when she had been young, Soren would watch as boys gaped at her is if she were from another world. Now, even the most confident of men would fall silent in her presence and could not find the words to say. With all the admiration she received, Soren couldn't help but be protective of his sister.

"Did you see where Mum and Silas ran off to?" Soren asked, promising himself to give those boys a fair beating in the next training session. "I'm guessing that they went to the Throne Room. They didn't look too happy, and lately they haven't been very happy when they go there."

Selene turned to him, her eyes wide and full of anticipation. "I was going to ask you the same thing," she said excitedly. "I saw her hurrying past my room, and I tried to follow her. She's surprisingly fast! Then I saw her grab Silas and they ran off in that direction together. No doubt, that's where they are. I heard from some servants that Midna and Link arrived just a few minutes ago. Why she would meet with them in the Throne Room, I don't know."

"Something must have happened," Soren guessed. "They're Mum's closest friends…she wouldn't meet with them so formally if everything was okay."

**Selene**

"So, two separate visions, both of them coming at the same point in time, but for what purpose? I feel that they're related, but how? What are the goddesses trying to warn us of?" Selene was perched on the plush window seat in her room, watching as her mother anxiously paced back and forth. After hearing Link's vision of the Hylians against an unknown army, Soren and Silas immediately went to work making sure that the Army would be prepared for battle at a moment's notice. Her mother had spent a few hours in her own study before coming to Selene's room.

Selene herself was uneasy. Everything about the vision struck fear into her; fear that her mother could not understand. It was not so much the woman or the storm that scared her…"Do you think that it's more than a premonition," she asked, unable to keep the nerves out of her voice. "Are you saying that it will actually come to pass?"

Zelda shook her head and a few gray strands gleamed in the dim light of her room. "Selene, I just don't know. I think that we should prepare for anything at this point. Silas and Soren are already working to ensure the safety of Hyrule if we were to be invaded by another army."

Her heart thudded. If her brothers were preparing for a war, then surely they thought that the vision was a sign of the future. "How can we prepare for our vision though?"

Zelda was silent for a moment. "We cannot let ourselves be vulnerable," she finally replied, her eyes giving away a deep concern.

Selene wasn't quite sure what that meant. Maybe she was speaking from experience, Selene thought. She recalled a story that her mother told her. When she herself was a young woman and was trying to solve the mystery of the Fierce Deity, she had dreams of her great grandmother giving her a children's book and the Ocarina of Time. The meaning of what Zelda was trying to say was unclear, but her mother had followed what the dreams were saying.

She ended up kidnapped and a prisoner in a madman's tower in Termina.

"Did you tell them about our vision too?" She asked, curious what the Hero might think of them.

"I did, actually. I told them every detail of what we saw."

"Did you tell them that it was me in the vision that both of us saw?"

"No…I did not. I just said that we had the same vision too."

"Why?"

"We don't know for sure why we're seeing the same vision, and why its you that it is so clearly about. I would rather know why before we told everyone."

Selene could see past her mother's weak reason for not telling them. She knew that she was afraid for her and what the vision might mean for her future.

"Was that the only vision you had?" Her mother asked, interrupting her thoughts. Selene felt a stab of annoyance, mingled with guilt. Like she had when asked that same question earlier, Selene looked down and let her hair fall over her face. Internally, she was screaming the truth. Outside, she was struggling to open her mouth and let the words flow.

"Selene, you have to tell me. Was there anything, anything else at all that you could tell me about your vision? Any other piece of information could help us tremendously."

She could just not bring herself to do it. Selene looked up and shook her head. "No. That was it," she said as blankly as she could. Her mother crossed her arms and a frown furrowed on her brow. The faint lines at the corner of her blue eyes deepened as she did so. She could tell that Zelda was doubtful.

"_Please…please don't believe me. Ask me again and I'll tell the truth," _Selene ached to confess, but the words stuck in her throat. She formed her face into a mask, hoping that she didn't look as guilty as she felt. Zelda considered her for a few more moments before sighing and uncrossing her arms. Selene knew then that she had won. Her lie was believed.

"Well, alright then. Selene, if there's anything else that you can think of, you know that I will listen." Zelda crossed the room and placed kiss on the top of her head. Selene gave a weak smile.

"I know Mum," she whispered, quietly drowning in shame. Zelda looked at her, a little sadly it seemed to Selene, and she left the room. As soon as the latch clicked and the door was closed, Selene groaned and buried her head into her knees. Why was telling her mother the truth so unbelievably difficult? All her life, she had been an honest daughter. Albeit, she might be closed and private at time, but she was at least truthful. This morning, she had come to her mother with every intention of telling her everything, but when Zelda had interrupted her and said that she was having the same vision…how could she tell the truth?

If her mother wasn't so protective of her, it might make things easier. She could already picture what would happen if she told her Mum the truth; lots of crying and worrying and locking Silas in the library until he found some answers. Her mind went back to the incident in the hallway with the young men and of course, Soren being Soren, he had glared daggers at them. No doubt fearing for their lives, they ran away. His protectiveness had been endearing when she was younger, but now it was getting to be a little much. She wasn't a helpless child anymore. Soren and their mother both needed to realize that she was almost an adult and could take care of herself. Even her father could be protective, when he was here. She didn't want to imagine what he would have done if he saw those soldiers looking at her the way they did!

The only person who wasn't worried about her was Silas. He was just distant and distracted most of the time, practically ignoring her existence, but at least he wasn't constantly hovering over her. For that, she appreciated him. Still though, it would be nice if he talked to her more than once a month. He used to be as close to her as Soren, but time had a way of changing things.

Selene raised her head and rested her chin on her knees. She looked to the window and watched as the storm raged outside, paling in comparison to the storm inside of her. She sighed heavily and her vision became watery as the tears began to flow. At least she wanted to think that she could protect herself. For years, she had fought private battles and faced many personal fears. That nagging voice deep inside her head daily told her that she was not the good, sweet child she tried so hard to be. If she could face that, then she could face anything, right? Yet even though the thoughts and fears that plagued her for so long had settled down in the past few years, as soon as the rains and visions came…they were back without mercy.

Her mother's voice came to mind and Selene heard her asking, pleading with her to say if there was anything more she saw. Selene felt a tear trickle down her cheek and she wiped it away. With all her fears and self-doubt, how could she bring herself to tell the truth of what she really saw? Her vision, her true vision, frightened her to the core.

If she admitted what she saw, then that would open up a whole world of questions and she would be forced to finally shed light on the thoughts that kept her awake at night. That enlightenment alone was enough to keep her from telling the truth. Though, she knew that she had to tell somebody what was going on. Being alone in the dark would only make things worse. She was close with Soren, but she couldn't tell him because he would probably ask her too many questions and become emotional and try to kill something. Maybe she could tell Silas. He didn't seem to care enough to worry about what would happen to her, but he would probably go straight to their mother and tell her everything she said when they were done talking.

Rose would understand, she thought to herself with a glimmer of hope. Her closest friend always listened to her without judgment or letting her feelings get in the way. She was calm, even-tempered, and honest. Selene trusted her more than anyone else, besides her mother. Maybe she trusted her even more than her own mother, since Rose knew things about Selene that nobody else did.

Selene blinked back the rest of her tears and a faint sense of relief eased the dark thoughts that were threatening to cast their shadow on her mind. The Ambassador's welcome dinner was taking place tomorrow night. Rose and her family would be there for certain. Selene decided that it had to be done then. No more waiting. She would tell Rose the truth. Her friend would help her sort out her thoughts and then from there, maybe she would find some peace in her stormy soul.

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><p>Thank you for reading this first chapter! It's written in a very different style from Healing the Moon, with it being a first person perspective from Zelda, but I feel like this story has so much to tell and not just one person can tell it. If you're new to this series, then thank you for giving it a try :) If you've read the first story, then thank you so much for coming back!<p>

Have a great weekend everyone!

Ginger~


	2. Awaken the Past

**WARNING: SUPER LONG CHAPTER AHEAD! **

Presenting the next installment of the Dying of the Light. What with Christmas shenanigans, work, and life activities in general, this chapter took a while to write. Thanks to all who favorited, followed, and reviewed the first chapter. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Happy Reading :)

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><p><strong>Midna<strong>

Thick mist curled over the soft earth and a light sprinkling of rain fell from the gray morning sky. Two cloaked figures wandered through the quiet grounds of the castle.

"I know that Selene is lying to me," confessed a tired and worn Zelda. To Midna, Zelda sounded a hundred years old and spread far too thin. Midna pulled the hood of her cloak down and let the drops of rain fall gently onto her hair. This weather wasn't so bad right now. The dampness and the chill almost felt like home to her.

"She's a terrible liar. I can see right through her, and I know that there is more to her vision than she is telling me," Zelda continued. Midna glanced over and saw the Queen's face set into a somber frown.

"Well if you know that she's lying, then why not confront her about it? Bring her lies out into the open and make her confess," suggested Midna. Zelda sighed and shook her head dramatically. A few strands of hair escaped the confines of her hood.

"Should I though? Selene has never been this way before. She might not have always volunteered information, but when asked, she tells the truth. I wouldn't know how to bring the truth out of her. I can always wring the truth out of Soren. The goddesses know that I've had years of practice with him! With Selene though, it's entirely different. Honestly, Midna, I am afraid to. We had such a difficult time with her when she was younger…I dread sparking any of that old fire in her if we did try to force her to confess."

Midna remembered how it was when Selene was a child. She was an angelic little thing, so compliant and wise and quiet, but after the summer that she almost drowned came the sudden onslaught of anger, the outbursts, the fits…then she would turn right back into that perfect, darling child like nothing ever happened. In her teenaged years, Midna knew that she had calmed down tremendously and was the happy, cheerful young lady that everyone knew and loved. Yet, Zelda had confided in her that Selene was moody and morose ever since the rains started.

"Do you know that to this day, she refuses to practice magic? It is a rare gift from the goddesses to have the ability to wield, but she refuses to even think about learning!"

Midna raised an eyebrow. Selene had the ability to wield and Zelda was just now telling her? "Does she tell you why?"

Shaking her head, Zelda replied, "she says that it frightens her."

Midna was puzzled. This seemed strange to her. Most people who could wield learned to hone their gifts as soon as they could. It was more of a problem for people to become obsessed by their own power than to be afraid of it.

"Again I say, does she tell you why?"

Rainfall filled the silence as Midna waited for Zelda to answer. "No she does not," she finally admitted. "I have never asked."

It took every once of Midna's will power to not roll her eyes. Honestly, how did Zelda ever get anything done without toughening up? "Zelda, you know that as your closest friend, I will speak my mind and I will be brutally, painfully, horribly honest, right?"

"You would not be Midna if you were not blunt," Zelda smiled.

"Well you have always had a blind spot when it comes to the ones you love, specifically those of your family with white hair, magical powers, and wicked tempers."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Zelda laughed sheepishly as her cheeks reddened.

"Oh, but I will," Midna continued. "You had a blind spot when it came to the Fierce Deity and his possession over Link. Your infatuation for him distracted you from the issue at hand, and the same is happening with Selene. I feel like something serious is going on and you're just as afraid to address the problem as she is. I tell you this because I think that there is much more than just a vision that Selene is hiding from you. I think that there have always been underlying issues that you, that husband of yours, and your daughter are afraid to drag out in the open and solve."

An uncharacteristic huff escaped Zelda's mouth as she crossed her arms. "What problem though?" She demanded a bit defensively. Midna caught a quick glance at her friend and she could see clear denial behind her furrowed brows and downturned mouth. "There is not any problem that we're trying to run from, at least not one that I can think of."

"Maybe I'm wrong," Midna answered, trying not to offend Zelda further. "Maybe there is no specific issue, but you need to be brave and just confront your daughter about the vision. I don't think that she's a rascal like Soren. She'd probably crumble and tell you everything if you just told her that you knew that she was being untruthful."

Uncrossing her arms, Zelda relaxed and let the tension ease out of her stance. She shook her head. "I know, Midna. It is just not as simple to do as you say it is. You will understand when your son is old enough to start misbehaving."

Midna could not help but smile. There was truth to that and she knew it. Zelda had spent many years trying to wrangle Soren into obedience, but she adored that little beast. After watching Zelda with her wild son, she rather hoped that her baby, Oren, would have Link's calm demeanor. If Oren was anything like her, then they were in for a world of trouble.

"Speaking of vision, did you dream it again last night," Midna inquired. She didn't want to push the Selene topic too much.

The sky exploded with sudden thunder and mountainous gray clouds released a deluge of rain. Midna and Zelda quickly moved to the closest covered walkway.

Zelda pushed back her hood and ran her fingers through her hair, free of its usual crown and adornments. Her face turned even grimmer than it had been all morning. Midna wondered if Zelda had forgotten how to smile. "They came to me last night, as they always do," she replied in a heavy voice. "I assume that Link had his vision as well."

"Yes, he did." Midna quickly smirked and attempted to cheer Zelda up. "His hand hurt him so badly that he jerked awake and slapped himself in the jaw!"

Zelda allowed herself to laugh, but her smile did not meet her eyes. A worried haze still haunted her expression. "Nothing changed though? He didn't see anything else," she asked, quickly turning the conversation serious once more.

Midna wanted to turn around and shake Zelda out of the gloomy stupor she had been in since last night. This rain was making everyone around her depressed and miserable! Though, Midna only shook her head no. She couldn't be too frustrated. Zelda and Link had been living in the storms for far too long without the sunlight. These Hylians that she loved were creatures of light. They shriveled and died without the sun. "No, everything stayed the same," Midna admitted wearily.

The walkway began to echo with the sound of quickly falling footsteps. Midna stopped walking and looked over her shoulder to see a young pageboy rushing down the slick stones of the path. Her eyes shifted over to Zelda, whose entire body stiffened at the arrival of the page. She looked straight ahead and her lips were pursed into a thin line.

"Zelda," Midna whispered. "Are you alright?"

She returned Midna's glance and her brow was pulled into a frown. "Lately the pages bring nothing but bad news. I have to admit, I'm not sure how much more I can handle," she whispered back.

In a few moments, the page had caught up with them. The boy was breathless and red-faced. He bowed hastily to Zelda, but respectively ignored Midna. Anger bubbled inside of her like hotly boiling water. There were small pockets of people who feared her, prejudiced against her kind because of the Twilight Occupation. As much as Zelda tried to reassure her people that they had nothing to fear from the Twilight Realm and their ruler, there were some that would not trust her. She feared for the prejudice against her son, as he was half Hylian, half Twili. Would he be shunned by both of his peoples when he was older and split his time between the two worlds? The page began to speak, breaking into her thoughts. For the moment, she pushed her worries aside and settled on glaring at the boy.

"Your majesty," he stammered, his voice quivering as he tried to draw breath. "The refugees have begun to arrive, much earlier than you and Prince Silas had anticipated, I'm afraid."

Midna watched as Zelda sighed heavily, seeming to age ten years in the breath of a second. It was clear that Zelda wasn't thrilled about the idea of strangers coming into her home, but Midna knew Zelda. She would not deny her people the help that they needed, no matter what the cost.

As soon as the sigh was through, Zelda stood up a little straighter and forced a determined face.

"Thank you, sir, for informing me of this. Will you escort me to the Castle's entrance so that I may greet my guests upon their arrival?" Zelda had put on her best Queen persona, burying her cares and woes deeply inside of her. Midna was curious as to how exactly she did it. As a Queen herself, never once did she hide her own emotions. Midna doubted that she actually could do it.

"That's not such bad news, is it?" Midna asked, trying one last time to lift Zelda's spirits. The Queen only turned to her and bowed her head in Midna's direction. "Thank you for accompanying me on my morning walk, Midna. It was a pleasure," Zelda thanked Midna in the Queenliest voice she could muster. She then abruptly turned around and followed the page down the walkway, her shoulders held back and her steps rigid.

It was all so formal, so stiff. Her red eyes followed Zelda as her and the page disappeared around a corner. Midna gave her own heavy sigh and pulled her hood close around her face. She stepped from the shelter of the path and began to pace through the garden, letting the rain envelope her. It broke her heart to see this sad, morose Zelda. Everything was a burden; the visions, her daughter's lies, the constant rain, the possible threat of the safety of Hyrule by an unknown army, and she had to do it all alone. Her husband was a world away, living on the moon and only allowed to see her once a year. A pang of pity rang through Midna as she considered how hard it must have been to raise all three of her children on her own, knowing that the love of her life was looking down on them, just as lonely and desperate for his family. It was hard enough that Link lived between the Twilight Realm and the World of Light, but they only had days apart from each other, not months on end.

Though, Midna could not help but sympathize with Zelda. Midna was the Queen of her own kingdom and the burdens of being monarch were often pressing and draining. It had been many years since the Twilight Realm was threatened, and the same could be said for Hyrule. If she were in the same situation, Midna knew that she would be just as harried and worried.

Midna unfolded her arms from the safety of her cloak and let the tepid drops fall onto her skin. Something wasn't right with this rain. It was too warm, too constant and Midna felt that Zelda was right to be afraid.

The storms felt like a prelude to something much more sinister.

* * *

><p><em>Two hooded figures mounted on swiftly running horses plodded through the unstable desert sand in the dark of a rainy twilight. The storms did not ravage the desert as it did the land of Hyrule. One of the riders was leading a stallion by a tether, rider-less and massive.<em>

_The setting sun desperately tried to shine through the clouds that were smothering it from shedding it's light to the earth, but there was still enough of a glow for the riders to see where they were going. The muddy ground made it hard for the horses to run smoothly, yet they urged their steeds onwards to an old, ruined fortress rising from the sand._

_The pair stopped their horses in front of the maze-like path that led to the entrance of the Arbiter's Grounds. The rider leading the stallion conferred with their partner for a moment and then rode confidently into the path._

_After a few moments, the sound of rain falling on the entrance to the prison was interrupted by the soft noise of hooves treading on the dirt. The two figures had reached their destination._

_In unison, they jumped off their horses and quickly tied all three mounts to a broken piece of wood protruding from the nearby wall._

_If anybody had been watching the scene unfold, they would have noticed that the forms were smaller, shorter, and walked very lightly on their feet. The movements of the figures were fluid and graceful, almost feminine._

_Then the two dashed into the entrance of the grounds, leaving the horses to stand in the drizzling world outside._

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><p><strong>Zelda<strong>

A wild storm waged outside, but Zelda felt safe and sound in the ballroom of her castle. The low chatter of her guests almost drowned out the constant sounds of rain and thunder, making her remember what a life without them was like.

The ambassador of Termina and his family had arrived a few hours before the storm hit. Zelda looked to the man sitting a few seats down from her right. Kael had grown from an insecure teenager to a confident young man, and Zelda was now in the presence of an eloquent, humble, beloved Mayor. His black hair was giving into premature gray, but Kael still held traces of the young man that she was once to be stepmother to. His wife, a lovely lady with brown hair sat at his side and she smiled gratefully at Zelda.

The threat of oncoming storms had forced Zelda to cancel the formal ball that she had planned for Kael's coming. Instead, she arranged an intimate dinner with close friends and high-ranking officials. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in who was able to brave the latest storm and who stayed in the safety of their homes.

Shad and Ilia had come, of course, bringing along their two children. Asher and Silas were already deep in thoughtful, philosophical conversation at the end of a long table down on the ballroom floor. Zelda leaned forward and watched Asher as he animatedly argued a point that Silas clearly did not agree with.

Though Asher did not share his father's penchant for "womanly socks," he inherited just as much enthusiasm for books and learning. He sported the same round spectacles as Shad, though he preferred a more modest attire. "Little Shad" was what Midna so lovingly referred to him as when he was a boy, though he had the looks of his mother with sandy brown hair and green eyes. Silas and Asher had been the best of friends since they were boys and bonded over arguing the finer points of a history lesson.

She looked next to the two empty spots next to Silas. Rose and Selene were nowhere to be found. Asher's younger sister and Selene had disappeared a few minutes after everyone finished their meal. The rest of the table was occupied by Kael's numerous children. His eldest was a boy named Kade, only a few months older than Selene. The rest of his flock was two sets of twin girls and two young boys so close in age that they might as well have been thought of as twins. Kade was sitting next to Soren, listening to him tell a raucous story about something that had happened in training that day. The boy had been sitting next to Selene earlier, and she was glad when Rose took his spot.

Ever since Kade was a child, there was something about him that sent shivers up her spine. His jet-black hair was combed to one side and fell over his pale, angular face and Zelda always wondered why his mother did not brush it out of the way. Not that she could really say much about that. Silas liked his hair long and straight, very similar to his father's, and Soren kept his shaggy and unkempt, much like that of a certain Hero of Light he admired. Still, everything about that boy bothered her. There was not much in his features that echoed of his father. Even his eyes were a dark brown, so unlike either of his parents' eyes. The boy loved to wear black; black boots, black breeches, black shirt, black cloak, black gloves, black anything he could put his devious little hands on …

As Zelda watched Kade listening to Soren, his brown eyes shifted and met hers. For a moment, they held each other's gazes before Kade smirked and looked away. A haunted chill fell over her. That smirk of his always triggered painful memories, long forgotten and buried. The way he swaggered arrogantly around the castle like he was sovereign lord over all the earth reminded her so vividly of not his father…but of Taran. That was why she was wary of the boy. There was something in not only his features that reminded her of his grandfather, but his entire persona was a shadow of the tyrant of her past.

Silas could not abide to be anywhere near Kade and had been successfully ignoring him all evening. Zelda knew that Soren surprisingly tolerated they boy's arrogant, snide manner. That did not bother her, however. What bothered her was the relationship between Selene and Kade. He always hung around her, teasing and taunting while Selene pretended to hate it, but more or less egged him on by reciprocating. Any time that she saw Kade talking with her daughter, time flew to the past and all she could see was Taran cornering her in her parlor, trying to convince her to marry him. Taran and Kade were too alike for her to be comfortable with him being around her daughter.

"Would you like to hold Oren?" A cheerful voice interrupted her gloomy musings. Thankful for the distraction, Zelda turned to Midna and saw the baby cradled in her arms.

"Of course, I would love to see this precious little one!" Midna gently lowered her sleepy baby into Zelda's arms. This little boy was so unique and beautiful, just like her children had been when they were babies. "Oh, I miss my sweet baby boys," she crooned as Oren lifted a chubby wrist to his face and rubbed his tired eyes.

"It's never too late to have another one," Midna teased. "You're not too old yet!" Zelda laughed and shifted the baby to a more comfortable position. "I _am _too old and my children are all grown! It would be nothing short of a disaster." Midna laughed and took the empty seat on Zelda's left. They fell into an easy conversation and Zelda continued to scan the room. Link was now at the table, sitting next to Soren and listening to the same story he had just been telling Kade. The boy in question had slithered away like a snake and it made Zelda nervous that he was walking around her home, unsupervised and alone.

**Akeelah**

Once inside the safety of the dry prison, the taller figure threw back their hood and cast the cloak to the ground.

It was a Gerudo girl, suspiciously surveying the room with sharp golden eyes. She was a young girl, no older than fourteen with a youthful, fresh face, tanned skin, and hair as red as a ruby. The girl was wearing Gerudo garb: dark green, sleeveless shirts with a high hem and long trousers. Both articles of clothing were decorated with yellow and red designs and she was armed with a strange looking sword strapped to her back. Thick, fingerless gloves guarded her hands.

The girl had her short hair piled on top of her head in a sloppy ponytail. Her ruby locks fell over her face in messy bangs that she kept absentmindedly sweeping to the side. Hair in the back fell out of the confines of her ponytail and lay in a short layer that brushed her neck. She kept tapping her foot on the dusty stone floor, anxious to get the journey started.

She looked to her partner, kneeling on the floor and folding her cloak neatly before packing it away in her bag. It was another Gerudo girl, identical to the first. This other girl had much longer hair that was pulled back into a thick braid. The tip of her braid reached the top of her waist.

A long, drawn out sigh echoed off the walls of the empty room. "Farrah! We don't have time for you to be prissy!" the girl with the ponytail hissed as she rolled her yellow eyes. She crossed her arms and stamped her bare foot on the floor to make sure that her sister knew that she was getting agitated.

The girl named Farrah didn't show any signs of impatience, but rose to her feet and stuck her nose in the air.

"Unlike you, Akeelah, I want to fold my clothes before I just toss them on the dirt and let them get all crumply. And just so you know, I'm finished," replied Farrah, trying to sound more dignified than her apparently messy twin.

"Great. You're a Gerudo warrior, since when do you need to care about how your clothes look?" The one called Akeelah groaned heavily and marched deeper into the prison, leaving her twin behind.

"I can do this without you," she called back, leaving her sister behind in the dank entryway. They had a mission to do and Akeelah was anxious to get it over with. The sound of footsteps echoed down the hall and Farrah caught up with her sister.

"Don't be so rude! I'm just as ready to do this as you are," she retorted as she swung her braid over her shoulder. Akeelah thought that she sounded a littler nervous, but replied by taking out her sword.

"Let's be careful though. This place isn't friendly," she warned ominously. Farrah took out her matching sword with a look of uncertainty on her face.

Together they set off into the Arbiter's Grounds. The Twins walked through the first few rooms, quietly bickering with each other about which way they should be going. Akeelah won the argument and Farrah walked behind her wearing a scowl.

They reached a room that was almost completely dark, save for a few dimly burning torches placed high on the walls. Akeelah was the first to cross the threshold of the room. "Now let's just get through this Spirit Temple and be out of here as soon as we can. This place doesn't feel right to me…"

"Shouldn't you be calling it the Arbiter's Grounds?" Farrah contradicted.

Akeelah rolled her eyes at her sister. "Spirit Temple, Arbiter's Grounds, it's the same thing! Weren't you listening to anything we were told?"

Akeelah spoke the truth. The Arbiter's Grounds and the Spirit Temple were one in the same. To all of Hyrule, the Arbiter's Grounds was known as the old prison where the most dangerous criminals were kept, including Ganondorf.

"Well, yes, I was listening, but I think that we should call it the Arbiter's Grounds, because that's what it is!" Farrah retorted back to her sister.

Akeelah secretly wished that she had gone on this mission alone. Farrah had never been much of a fighter and preferred to practice magic and be dainty, but she was forced to come along. Besides, she was the better of the two at magic and they needed her particular set of skills. The two girls went into the next room and continued their journey through a hall lit by four blue flames.

"That's true Farrah, but don't you feel the old Magic still lingering in these rooms? The name and purpose of this place may have changed, but the Gerudo essence hasn't left it…"

"You're right," Farrah whispered, her voice drifting eerily through the dusty stone hall. "When you stop and listen, you can feel the old spirits lingering here…"

Though she did not have the same level of skill as her sister did in magic, Akeelah could sense the old power of the Spirit Temple running though her veins. It frightened her as much as it thrilled her.

**Selene**

"I'm sorry that I pulled you away from dinner so soon. I just have to talk to you about something!" Selene and Rose were shut away in a small parlor just down the hallway from the ballroom. A fire had not been lit in the hearth, so the room was cold and dark. Only a few candles cast a glow on the two girls. A purple light briefly filled the room as a bolt of lightning struck nearby. The thunder growled angrily in response a few moments later.

Rose was not deterred by Selene's sudden flight from the ballroom. She was as patient as she was kind, though Selene couldn't help but feel slightly guilty that she had practically dragged her away by the arms to have this talk.

"Don't worry about it," Rose said, smiling and shaking her head. "I don't mind at all, even though roasted beef is my favorite dish." Rose laughed gaily, but Selene was just able to manage a strained chuckle. Her stomach was twisting with nerves. Rose knew plenty of her secrets, but this one thing she was going to confess made everything else they had ever talked about seemed so silly and insignificant in comparison.

It did not take long for Rose to catch on to Selene's lack of humor, and she immediately became solemn. ""Oh…this is a serious talk. Is everything alright," she asked with a calm, steady tone. "This isn't going to be about Kade, is it?"

"What?" Selene barked. For a second, she was shocked out of her anxiety. "Why would we talk about Kade?" Rose shrugged her shoulders. Under the light of the candles, Selene could see a blush creep over her cheeks. "I don't know," Rose stammered awkwardly. "You two have always teased and flirted with each other and tonight was no different. I thought that maybe he had—Selene! Stop laughing!"

"I'm sorry! I can't help it," Selene defended between stifled giggles. Her nerves had been getting the best of her all day and it felt good to release everything in laughs. "I'm just laughing at what you're implying! Kade is ridiculous! Of course we aren't here to talk about him."

"Alright then," Rose said, but Selene could tell that she was not entirely convinced that she thought him ridiculous. Perhaps she had laughed too much and denied too hard. Selene secretly admitted that her and Kade had been far too chummy that evening. Ever since she was young, people always made assumptions about them. Especially now that she was older, people would read into anything. Selene's laughter died down and she sat somberly in her chair.

"So, tell me what's really going on." Rose rested her chin on her hand and stared at her with those knowing blue eyes. Her strawberry blonde hair glowed fiery red under the light of the candles as she waited for Selene to start speaking. Though Rose was a year younger than Selene, the girl was wise beyond her years. Calm, cool, and collected, she was the perfect confidant for somebody like Selene.

"Well, I'm not even sure if I'm supposed to be telling you this, but my mother and Link are having these visions that might mean trouble for Hyrule. It isn't too strange in of itself I suppose, but I am also having visions…almost the exact same one that my mother does." Selene then recounted every detail of the vision that she shared with her mother, up until the point where the woman grabbed her shoulders.

"When my mother is dreaming, she always stops because she sees her reflection in a puddle of water, except that she doesn't look at herself. She sees me. She is me in her vision…just as she realizes what she is seeing, the woman attacks her and she wakes up."

Rose looked inquisitive as she leaned her chin on her closed fist. "What do you see when you look at the reflection in your vision?"

"I see myself," Selene answered.

"Then you wake up like your mother does?"

"No. I don't." Selene hesitated. She felt like sweat was breaking out on her brow. Why was this so hard? "The vision keeps going."

Under the light of the candle, Selene saw Rose give her a knowing little smile. "I have a funny feeling that your mother doesn't know about that. Am I right?"

Her best friend knew her too well. "Possibly…" She replied, letting her answer drift into silence.

"What happens next," Rose simply replied, not judging or lecturing her for keeping secrets.

"Well," Selene fumbled for the words to say. She had never spoken this part aloud and it frightened her. Throwing it all out in the open made it far too real. "Her hands are digging into my shoulders and I can't run away from her. She has me in this death grip and I'm screaming at her to let me go. I can hear her laughing at me. After a few seconds I get really…angry. I lift up my hands behind me and I say these words in another language. I can feel this force, or power shoot through my hands and whatever it is, hits the woman and she lets go. When she does, I head for the tunnel and I run for my life.

The vision changes without warning and I am standing in this dark room. I can see nothing but a blazing golden fire. It's right in the middle of the room, high above me on top of this dais. There's stairs leading up to the fire and I go up the stairs. When I get closer to the fire, the blaze becomes bigger, stronger. Instead of being afraid, I'm curious. I put my hand near the flames, almost touching them. I can feel the heat and pain from it, but I don't care. The pain is soothing to me, almost like I am craving the sensation of it. My hand goes further and further into the fire, burning me, but I don't cry out. I stare at the flames. I can hear them hissing my name. In a trance, I step into the fire. Without any hesitation, I step right into the flames…

The pain is excruciating, but I let the flames consume me. I relish in the agony. The fire is all that I can see now. It is all I want. My body is covered in fire and I know that I am dying, but it makes me feel more alive than I have ever felt before. Yet, everything changes in the fire. My fears become my strength, my worries become my hopes, and every single thing that I have loved becomes meaningless to me. Selene is gone. All that I am burns away.

I never step out of the fire. I do not want to leave. I burn and burn, but my body never dies. It goes on forever. The vision only ends when I wake up."

Rose had heard plenty of her confessions before, never breaking out of a straight, placid face. This time, Rose was different. The candlelight fell on her face and Selene saw her blue eyes wide with concern.

Thunder roared. Rain fell angrily against the window. The hissing of the candles sounded like bees in Selene's ears. Everything was far too loud and far too quiet and the silence of her friend was far too pressing. Selene could not handle it another second. "Rose. What do you think?" She blurted anxiously. Selene tapped her fingers on the wooden arms of the chair. Rose still hesitated before answering. "You've told this to no one?"

"No!" Selene snapped, more out of nerves than anything. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself. "You're the only one that I trust enough to tell this to."

Rose's frown only deepened. "Is this something that will happen in the future?"

Selene's tapping was more rapid, more panicked. "I don't know! I have no idea if this will actually happen or if it is supposed to be symbolic of something! You can never tell exactly what visions mean…trust me, my mother knows all about that."

"Yes but, the fire…it's hurting you, but you chose to stay? You just…let it burn you?" Selene could tell that Rose was worried. A worried Rose never meant anything good. She always had something positive to say. If she was scared, then so was Selene. The terror of the vision that she had been hiding for weeks finally rose to the surface and erupted into panic. She jumped from her chair.

"Yes! Rose, it's terrifying! I chose to be in the fire! I chose to let it burn me to a crisp! Also, since when do I know any sort of magic? I know that I can do it, but I don't want to! You know that. Doesn't it seem so strange to you that I can suddenly wield a strong enough magic to fight off my attacker?" Selene began to pace madly around the room, her hair whipping around her like a white sheet in the wind.

Rose stayed seated with her hands tightly wound together. "That doesn't concern me so much as the fire does. It doesn't just burn your body…it burns your very soul. You said it yourself. All that you are burns away. You aren't Selene anymore. That is what scares me the most."

Selene grabbed a fistful of her hair, choking down the overwhelming fear that threatened to spill over. An old demon from her past was trying to force its way to the surface. One of the fits that plagued her as a child…She could not let Rose see her like that…

"The fact that I chose this scares me the most, to be honest," Selene replied. "It makes me think, do I really hate myself that much that I would jump into a magical fire so that I don't have to be me anymore?"

"I though that you'd worked through all that…" Rose no longer looked fearful. She looked sad.

For some reason, her friend's sympathy calmed her. Selene let go of her hair and she returned to the chair. A deep sigh left her and she felt some of her tension flow away. "I thought so too, but maybe I haven't. Those doubts and fears that tortured me for so long, they're all back. My worries are just as strong as ever. My fear is so overwhelming that some days I just want to run away and leave it all behind."

"Have you told your mother?" Rose asked.

Selene shook her head. "How can I tell her? If I told her my vision, then I would have to tell her everything!"

"I don't think that would be such a bad thing though" Rose encouraged. "Selene, she needs to know! How can you get any answers if you don't open up to her? Does your father know?"

Her father. It had been weeks since she had felt his presence with her. Out of all her siblings, she was lucky enough to have the strongest connection with him. It probably had something to do with the fact that she was magical. It was the only aspect of that gift that she was happy with. "No, he doesn't know specific things, but I know that he can sense that something has been wrong since I was a girl," Selene answered. "He's not the one that I'm worried about though. He's very surprisingly level headed…it's my Mum that I worry about. I'm just afraid that she's going to fly into a panic and get upset and—"

"Selene."

"Do you know how many times you have used the word 'afraid?' Far too many times. You have to stop letting your fear control you! Fear holds you back! You need to tell her. With Link's vision and your shared visions, Hyrule might be in serious danger. You yourself might be in terrible danger and it is time to put the fear of her reaction aside. No more living in the shadows. Tonight, tell your Mum. If she acts the way you think she will, then it will happen and it will pass. She will get over it and then will do everything in her power to help you. Please, listen to me. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. You are like the sister I never had!"

Rose was right. As much as Selene hated to admit it, she knew that nothing would get done if she kept this to herself. She would only flounder alone in the dark if she did not share her burdens with her family. "Alright. I'll tell her. I'll do it tonight."

Rose smiled and walked over to Selene. She gave her a quick hug around the shoulders. Selene patted her friend on the arm, a little overwhelmed and feeling strangely empty after admitting her secrets.

"We can do back to the dinner now," Selene offered. "I know that you're probably starving."

"Oh, just a little," Rose laughed. Selene, her mood suddenly lighter than it had been in days, stood next to Rose. She was a head taller than her friend. In fact, she was taller than most girls her age.

"Come on, this room is gloomy. How much do you want to bet that Silas and Asher are still arguing about that one boring thing we don't understand?" Selene joked.

"If we're lucky, they'll be arguing until the sun comes up!" Rose and Selene spared a few laughs over their pretentious brothers as they left the parlor and walked through the corridor. A few sconces were burning on the walls, casting shadows on the floor. The girls were quietly whispering about some nobility gossip that Rose overheard earlier in the evening when a figure emerged from the shadows ahead.

"Found you," whispered a smooth, sly voice. A tall, slim figure was approaching the girls. "Why'd you run off, Selene?"

Kade had indeed found her. As he approached her, Selene couldn't help but look over at Rose, who seemed to have become very interested in a nearby painting of a rather gruesome war scene.

"We wanted to get away from you, obviously," Selene quipped when Rose refused to meet her eye and help her out of this interaction with Kade. "Can't you see that we're having a private conversation?"

Kade smirked and brushed his black hair out of his eyes. "Talking about me?" Selene took in his face, sharp features and pale skin, and wondered how hard it would be to hide his tall, skinny body in that wardrobe nearby. She could take him if she wanted to. Soren had taught her how to knock a man out when she was ten…

"Not too much," Rose muttered, just loud enough for Kade to hear. Selene didn't know if she wanted to laugh or scream. How could she say that?!

The boy's dark eyes narrowed as his smirk widened. "Oh, really? Now I'm interested. Tell me what you said," Kade demanded playfully, a devilish twinkle in his brown irises.

"You wouldn't like it," Selene replied airily as she stuck her nose up in the air and crossed her arms. Kade took a step closer to Selene and casually leaned his arm against the wall. He was a bit close to her, but Selene didn't back down.

"I don't think so," he whispered. "I think that you and Rose were talking about letting me dance with you at the dinner tonight."

Selene leaned in, closing the gap between them. "That's where you're wrong, Kade," she said with all the toughness she could muster. It fell very, very short of tough. She sounded downright silly. "There won't be any dancing tonight."

Kade cocked his head to the side, pretending to be in deep thought. He ran his fingers over his smooth chin. "That's alright. We can find another place to dance besides the ballroom. How about the library?"

Rose giggled behind her. "Excuse me?" Selene snapped. The smile on her face was threatening to break free.

"That's right! I'll light some candles," Kade mused as he stepped back from Selene. He frowned in mock concentration. "Maybe your brother will be there, his nose so deep in a book that he won't even realize what's going on. Rose can come and play the flute. You do play don't you?"

"No! I don't!" Rose snapped happily, her voice betraying too much glee at the direction this conversation was going.

"That's alright! You're a fast learner, I bet!"

"Stop it, Kade!" Selene tried in vain to sound stern and annoyed, but she could not keep the laughter out of her voice. Kade's eyes were glowing with some sort of strange victory and Selene realized that she was smiling too much. She quickly rolled her eyes and marched down the hallway. Rose followed after her, barely keeping the smug smirk off her face.

"Don't say a word," Selene murmured to her friend as she linked her arm through hers. Rose's mouth was a tight smile. Selene knew that she didn't have to say anything. Her triumphant silence was enough.

"Not the library? Alright, that's not a problem," Kade called out to their retreating backs. In a second, she felt a second arm wind through her free one. Kade tightly pulled Selene to his side.

"We can try the stables then," he continued, looking down at Selene with his ever-present arrogance. "Might smell a bit, but you won't mind I'm sure. Soren stinks worse! The horses can be our guests. Rose, you can play the violin, right?"

Selene cursed herself as a laugh escaped her lips without permission. She struggled to frown and make herself sound serious. "No, Kade!"

**Akeelah**

"Is this it, Farrah?" The girls were standing in front of a plain brick wall. There were no distinguishing markings on it or anything. It was just a plain wall in an empty room.

"I'm pretty sure it is," answered Farrah. "Look at where I'm standing!" She pointed to her own feet. The girl was standing on top of a stone slab that had the ancient Gerudo symbol carved into the surface.

"Oh you're right! Here, let me stand on it." Farrah and Akeelah quickly swapped spots so that Akeelah was the one standing on the symbol.

"Are you ready?" the girls asked each other at the same moment. "Yes," they replied in unison. The twins giggled at themselves, but their laughs were heavy with nerves.

Akeelah reached into a little pouch that hung on a belt she wore around her hips. She lifted her hand up and in her fingers was a small, adobe ocarina. Never one to be nervous, Akeelah felt her fingers trembling as she held the small instrument in her hands.

"Are you alright?" Farrah asked, her voice filled with genuine concern.

"Yes," Akeelah replied sharply. She hated it when she seemed weak or scared. "I'm not scared, I'm just—I just…I can't believe that we're finally doing this."

Farrah nodded, her face serious and grim. "I know. Everything depends on us now."

"Right." Akeelah nodded. She took a deep breath and willed her hands to stop shaking. The Gerudo girl brought the ocarina to her lips and began to play a mournful melody.

"Requiem of Spirit…" Farrah softly whispered to herself. Akeelah continued to play, she felt an uncontrollable sadness welling up in her heart. Something about the melody was so sad and touching, that her tough, stony demeanor was moved.

As Akeelah played the melody over and over, the wall in front of them began to change. From bottom of the wall, glowing yellow lines began to form. The lines snaked their way up the wall, branching out in different directions and going up. Soon, other lines began to grow out of the corners at the top and on the sides.

The melody continued to repeat itself and both girls were looking at the changing wall in awe. In a matter of minutes, the glowing lines had wrought themselves into an elaborate picture on the wall. It was a regal looking woman wearing a pharaoh-like hat with her hands outstretched before them as if beckoning the girls to her.

The Goddess of Sand had appeared before them. The easy part was over.

Akeelah stopped playing and hastily shoved the ocarina back into her pouch. "Come here!" She commanded her twin. Farrah quickly stepped on the stone slab next to her, and grabbed Akeelah's hand. Her twin's fingers shook terribly under her grasp. Akeelah wished that she could make her sister braver, stronger like herself.

With a dull, scraping sound that made Akeelah's skin crawl, the wall in front of them depicting the goddess slid slowly down into the floor. Behind the wall the girls could see a dark, the only light cutting thought the blackness was coming from the torches in their room.

"Are you ready for this?" Akeelah asked her twin. Farrah nodded slowly, but didn't look so sure. Akeelah herself suddenly didn't feel so confident as she did seconds before.

"Are you positive? You know that you aren't allowed to scream or be a wimp. You're a Gerudo warrior in training, so you need to act like one…show your bravery!" Akeelah made an attempt at encouraging her sister, but she could feel her own knees shaking. She knew that she was saying those words for her own benefit, just as much as she was for Farrah.

"We don't have a choice, Akeelah. This has to be done," she answered in a quivering voice. "Let's just do this."

**Zelda**

The hand that was cradling the sleeping baby's head began to twitch. It was her left hand. Zelda shifted the baby in her arms so that her right hand was supporting him. The twitch quickly turned into a painful throbbing. Her skin tingled as the pain crept up her arm and covered her head like a dark shadow. A spell of dizziness overtook her as the pain pressed against her head.

If her Triforce was paining her, then what was happening to Link? With swiftly growing fear, Zelda scanned the room until she found Link. The Hero was rubbing his Triforce hand and staring down at it with a frown.

Suddenly, blinding pain stabbed through her skull. "Midna," she cried out as she squeezed her eyes shut in a weak attempt at trying to block out the pain. "Take Oren! Something is happening to me," her voice was strained as she groaned through gritted teeth. Immediately, the baby was lifted from her arms. Zelda opened her eyes, tears clouding her vision as the sudden intake of light pained her.

"Zelda! Are you alright?" Midna yelled, but her voice sounded muffled and dim, like she was talking under water.

"Something—something is wrong—" Zelda tried to croak out, but her words were jumbled and her mouth felt numb. Panic coursed through her and she was too disoriented to push it down.

**Akeelah**

As one unit, the girls boldly stepped off the stone bearing the Gerudo symbol and into the dark room beyond. When they were all the way inside, the wall behind them slid back up into place and the light source was cut off. Farrah squeezed Akeelah's hand tightly.

"Stop! You have to stop! Get a hold of yourself!" She hissed, her small voice drowning in the dark room. The atmosphere of the place was suffocating. A presence was pressing down on her, causing her footsteps to become sluggish. Every nerve in her body was on edge. Akeelah felt like the very air she was breathing was thick of whatever was residing in the room.

Out of thin air, a lit candle appeared before them. It seemed to float in midair, situated in the middle of the room. Farrah jumped so violently that her hold on Akeelah's hand was loosened and the two girls were separated.

"It's alright, it's just the candle…" Akeelah whispered as she tried to console her twin. She wondered if Farrah would be able to hold up her end up the mission. What would happen then if she couldn't?

They walked slowly to the place where the candle burned in the air. When they reached the middle of the room, they saw that the candle wasn't hovering, but rather resting on a stone altar.

The candle was pure white and the flame was giving off dim, yellow light. The object itself was sitting in a divot carved into the stone, which was filled with amber liquid.

Farrah leaned close over the small flame. "Alright, I guess it's my turn…" she spoke quietly to Akeelah. Her shaking hands were holding two rocks that she started hitting together. A few sparks flew out over the surface of the little pool as the rocks quickly made contact with each other. Farrah struck the rocks together once more and this time a spark flew out and hit the opaque liquid.

The spark ignited the liquid, which turned out to be lamp oil. The pool of oil turned into a little pit of flames, which engulfed the candle. Moments after the flames appeared, candles all over the room began to spontaneously ignite. All along the wall there were hundreds of little ledges that held a single candle. The candles followed the perimeter of the round room, circling all the way from the floor to the ceiling.

The glow from the candles cast light onto the ceiling high above them, which was revealed to be an elaborate mosaic depicting the creation of the Desert by Din herself. Farrah poked Akeelah in the ribs with her elbow and pointed up. Akeelah looked up, but wasn't impressed.

"It's beautiful, but we can't stand here and admire the decorations all day. We have a job to do." Akeelah was already walking to the other side of the altar as she said this. The girl raised her right arm to her sister over the altar. "Its time," she said darkly. "I'm not powerful enough to do this. Come on…"

Akeelah watched as Farrah took a deep breath. All the fear seemed to drain out of her and she boldly crossed the room and joined her twin. She clasped Akeelah's arm and both girls were grasping each other's tanned wrists. One last time, Akeelah pulled out the ocarina and played the Requiem of Spirit. The flames underneath their hands turned a brilliant, bright blue. All around the wall, the fire coming from the little candles also began to turn the same color. The room was cast in a ghostly cobalt glow.

Then Akeelah put the ocarina away and the sisters held each other with both arms. Farrah breathed deeply and lowered her eyes to the candle. Her small, young voice began to chant out a spell. The tone, menacing and strange, sounded unsettling coming from her girlish voice. Ancient words poured out of her mouth, faster and faster until they were jumbled into phrases too hard for anyone but Akeelah to understand. Disgust swept through her. It wouldn't be too much longer before she would be forced to join her sister. She hated the language of this spell and the way that it made her feel. Everything about it was unnatural and wicked.

**Zelda**

The Triforce burned like fire against her skin and Zelda screamed in agony. Through bleary eyes, she looked down and saw that the ancient relic was glowing a bright, shimmering gold. Her entire arm felt as though it was burning in flames and she was shaking terribly.

"Link," she managed to whisper weakly to Midna. "Where is Link?" Scarlet eyes became worried and Midna whipped around, surveying the room for Link. Zelda had already caught sight of him. The Hero had moved onto the ballroom floor and was leaning heavily against a pillar. His face was wrought into a pained grimace and his hand was aglow with the light of the Triforce. Midna's cry cut through the haze and Zelda felt her leave her side as she ran to Link, hastily placing the baby in the nearest arms she could find.

Link did not look to Midna as his wife came running to him. His blue eyes, fearful and wide, found Zelda's. For a moment, they held each other's gaze.

**Akeelah**

Akeelah's voice soon joined Farrah's. They had been chanting for nearly an hour. Yet, it seemed to be working. The presence that had filled the room was becoming stronger, so strong in fact that she felt like she was drowning under water. Both girls took deep breaths between their words, until the pressure was too much and they could no longer speak.

Akeelah looked at her sister. Farrah's eyes were locked onto something directly above them. Her mouth gaped and she looked beyond petrified. With her heart pounding a little faster than before, she slowly raised her head and saw their handiwork. A phantom was materializing right above their heads. The figure was enormous, stocky, and quickly turning from an opaque blue to dark, solid colors.

Akeelah looked back at her sister and saw that the fear was replaced by something else. She called out to her and Farrah quickly turned her head. Shock and awe was written all over her features.

"We actually did this!" She cried, her voice mingled with terror and pride. "We actually did this!"

Suddenly, an unnatural wind blew like a gale through the whole room. The twins back away from the altar and covered their faces with their forearms. The candles stayed lit, but dust was whipping around the girls like a sandstorm. Akeelah could almost hear a deep, wicked laugh in the midst of the wild wind.

**Zelda**

For over two decades, they were the sole bearers of pieces of Triforce. They sensed things that nobody else could. The goddesses communicated with them in strange, powerful ways. This was a warning. Something dark and dangerous was shifting into their world from somewhere cold and black and they were both feeling the birth pangs of its arrival.

Their silent gaze was interrupted as Midna rushed to Link's side. Just as she did, his eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he fell to the floor. Screams and cries of fear rang out over the ballroom. People were rushing, shoving, all in a frenzy. The Hero of Light had fallen. Link and Midna were blocked from view by a swarm of bodies, all trying to see what had happened. Zelda could hear Midna over the din, her voice fearful, pleading for help. Only the thunder mockingly responded to her cries. Through the crowd, Zelda saw a flash of silver. One of her sons was rushing to aid Midna.

The world was shifting, swimming, falling. She could not grasp onto anything solid. Everything was hazy, fading quickly into nothingness. Taking one last breath, Zelda looked at her Triforce, glowing oddly in her bleary eyes. She felt her body give into weakness as the world around her became dark and Zelda dove into a deep blackness.

**Akeelah**

Finally, the wind stopped. All was quiet. Akeelah rose to her feet and saw that the candles were back to their normal color. Her gaze went from the candles on the wall to the altar before her.

The blood began to pump through her veins like a horse racing across a field as she saw what was standing on the place where the flames used to be.

Farrah was still kneeling on the floor, but her eyes were transfixed on the same figure that Akeelah was staring at.

The girls knew what they were here for. They came to the old temple knowing exactly what would happen, but the sight of their handiwork still frightened Akeelah to her very core.

Ganondorf, the King of the Gerudo was standing before them, resurrected.

* * *

><p>Oh snap!<p>

If anyone remembers an old fic from four years ago called "The Requiem of Peace," the names Akeelah and Farrah might be familiar to you. My first attempt at writing a fanfiction had some good ideas, but I was still a new writer and the story was poorly executed. It was kind of embarrassing, actually. I got my first flaming review. It was one of those "I'm gonna be really harsh and mean, but still say constructive things, so you can't really call it a flame," kind of reviews. It crushed my soul, but I will say that it made me think more as a writer. So, thank you, mean person who wrote a constructive flaming review. You actually helped somebody. I got a few chapters into the story before I realized that I had NO idea where I wanted it to go. So, that story was scrapped and left in my documents to die. That is, until I started thinking about a sequel to HtM. I couldn't think of a solid plot, but I had ideas and characters in my head that I wanted to bring to life. So...I took aspects of that failed story and mingled it with my idea for a sequel, and BAM, this fic was born. I have to say, that sometimes our ideas don't work the way we originally thought, but some time and experience can inspire an average idea into a full-fledged, mature, compelling story.

Thanks for reading this chapter. Stay posted for more updates! Feel free to PM me!

~Ginger


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